1996 Ford F-150 Electrical System

ON AUG. 30TH AT 9:00 A.M. MY 1996 F150 TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE. I WAS NOT IN THE TRUCK I HAD NOT DRIVEN THE TRUCK FOR TWO HRS. IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND SELF IGNITED, THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE. IT WAS A REALLY HOT FIRE I HAD TO CALL OUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PUT IT OUT. *NM

NEIGHBOR WOKE ME UP ABOUT 11:30 PM TELLING ME THAT MY TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS. THE FIRE WAS UNDER THE HOOD ON DRIVERS SIDE. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE AND IT'S MY PROBLEM.*AK

MY WIFE CAME HOME FROM WORK, WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE AND NOTICE SMOKE DRIFING BY THE SLIDING GLASS WINDOWS. SHE WENT OUT ONTO THE BACK DECK AND SAW THAT THE 1996 FORD F-150 (4-WHEEL DRIVE) WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. (AUGUST 9, 2004) THE TRUCK WAS PARKED AT THE BASEMENT LEVEL ON OUR HOUSE. SHE HEARD THE TRUCK REPEATLY TRYING TO START AS IF SOMEONE WAS IN SIDE, SHE THOUGHT THAT I HAD COME HOME AND SAW THE FIRE AND WAS TRYING TO MOVE IT AWAY FROM OUR HOUSE. SHE CALL 911. THE FRONT OF THE HOOD WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. SHE WENT TO THE BEDROOM WINDOW TO SEE IF I HAD PULLED UP BUT I HAD NOT ARRIVED HOME YET. SHE WENT BACK OUT OF THE DECK AND THE TRUCK WAS STILL TRYING TO START. THE FIRE HAD BROKE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND HAD MELTED THE TIRES. OUR SONS TRUCK WAS PARKED BESIDE IT. HE HAD DAMAGE TO THE HEADLAMPS, FRONT HOOD AND REAR VIEW MIRROR OF HIS TRUCK. THE VINYL SIDING WHICH WAS ON THE SECOND LEVEL OF OUR HOUSE HAD MELTED.WE HAD DRIVEN THE TRUCK ON SUNDAY AUGUST 8TH TO GET GROCERY. THE TRUCK HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THEN.THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PARKED IN MY MOTHER-IN-LAWS CARPORT. SHE IS 79 YEARS OLD AND IS WIDOWED, HAS SLIGHT DEMENTIA AND LIVES ALONE AND IS NO LONGER ABLE TO DRIVE. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED IN HER CARPORT, HER HOUSE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE, WITH HER INSIDE.WE LIVE NEXT TO HER AND SHE WANTED TO KEEP THE TRUCK AT HOUSE BECAUSE SHE LIVES ON THE HIGHWAY.THE TRUCK HAD RECENTLY BEEN PAID OFF AND INSURANCE WAS DROPPED TO LIABILITY, SINCE IT WAS SELDOM EVER DRIVEN. THE TRUCK IS A TOTAL LOSS. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. I AM VERY INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT WHAT CAUSE THIS FIRE. WE HAVE TWO OTHER FORD VEHICLES. A 1996 FORD EXPLORER AND 1994 FORD THUNDERBIRD. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THESE VEHICLES.

1996 FORD F-150 TRUCK , ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. *AK

THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE TRUCK STARTED BURNING LATE AT NIGHT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS COMPUTER RELATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY COMPUTER BOX. *SCC *JB

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND 10 MINUTES, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER HOOD. BURNED WIRING, ALL PLASTIC UNDER HOOD ON DRIVERS SIDE, HOOD AND DRIVERS SIDE FRONT FENDER. CALLED FIRE DEPT. PUT OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER.*AK

OUR FORD F150 CAUGHT ON FIRE IN OUR DRIVEWAY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THANK GOD IT DID NOT START OUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE ON FIRE. ALSO THANK GOD THAT IT WAS NOT IN OUR GARAGE AT THE TIME. *NLM

THE HORN BUTTONS ON MY 1996 FORD F-150 ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESS WITHOUT TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD AND SCANNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCATE THEM. NUMEROUS TIMES I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. IN EVERY EMERGENCY SITUATION I HAVE EXPERIENCED, MY HANDS END UP PRESSING ON THE AIR BAG COVER AND THEN ON THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS. ONLY AFTER I HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED A CRASH DUE TO NOT HAVING TIME TO LOOK DOWN AT THE STEERING WHEEL TO DISCOVER WHERE THE HORN BUTTONS ARE. THE HORN BUTTON LAYOUT COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE DESIGN AND TESTING PROCESS WITHOUT NUMEROUS WARNINGS AND COMPLAINTS BY THE TEST ENGINEERS AND OTHER ANALYST'S. FORD APPEARS TO HAVE LEFT THIS DESIGN FLAW IN PLACE TO AVOID AN EXPENSIVE REDESIGN OF THE 1996 MODEL F-150. IT WAS ONLY IN PRODUCTION FROM SEPTEMBER 1995 THROUGH DECEMBER 1995 THEN FORD INTRODUCED THE REDESIGNED 1997 MODEL IN JANUARY 1996. IT APPEARS THAT THEY OPTED TO SACRIFICE OPERATOR SAFETY IN THEIR RUSH TO MIGRATE TO THE NEW TRUCK DESIGN.*JB

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO BACKUP LIGHTS STAYING ON. BULBS WOULD LEAN ONTO PLASTIC AND PLASTIC WOULD CATCH ON FIRE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK

DUE TO PLACEMENT OF DRIVER AIRBAG THE HORN BUTTONS ARE DIFFICULT TO USE WHEN TRYING TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS THAT SUDDENLY VEER INTO MY LANE. SEVERAL COWORKER THAT DRIVE SIMILAR VEHICLES HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE HORN BUTTONS ARE AT 3 OCLOCK AND 9 OCLOCK, THEIR SIZE IS ABOUT 1 INCH BY 5/8 INCH. WITH THE SIZE AND PLACEMENT OF THE HORN BUTTONS IN A HURRY MOST TIMES THE AIRBAG IS HIT RATHER THAN THE HORN.*AK

HAZARD LIGHTS HAD A DEAD SPOT WHEN SHUTING OFF FLASHERS. ALSO, BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT. STOPPED BY HIGHWAY PATROL TO INFORM BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

THERE ARE TWO HORN BUTTONS ON SIDE OF WHEEL ABOUT SIZE OF POSTAL STAMP. WHEN DRIVER REALLY NEEDS TO GET TO HORN RIGHT AWAY IT'S HARD TO FIND THE BUTTONS.*AK IT WAS DIFFICULT TO USE A HORN ESPECIALLY WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL BECAUSE OF POOR DESIGN OF THE WHEEL. *YH

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA DUE SHORTAGE IN THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS.PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES SUDDENLY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BROKE OUT UNDER THE HOOD, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BURN UP. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

THIS M/V HAS BEEN WORKED ON AT LEAST 15-20 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE BEGINING CAR WAS TAKEN TO SULLIVAN BROS WHILE UNDER WARRENTIE AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. SINCE 7-2000 THIS CAR WAS AT TWO DEALERS AND THE COST CLOSE TO $800,00 CAR STILL HAS SAME PROBLEMS. STALLS THE PAST WEEK THIS CAR HAS ALMOST BEEN IN TWO ACCIDENTS AS THE CAR HAS STALLED WHILE MAKING LEFT TURN INTO ON COMING LANES. CAR STALLS AND EVERY THING GOES DEAD. SINCE AUGUST THE CAR HAS BEEN WORKED ON AT SHIRETOWN FORD INC 147 SAMOSET ST PLYMOUTH MA #02360 STILL WAITING FOR PHONECALL TO BRING CAR BACK AGAIN WHAT CAN I DO. *AK

VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLS AT SLOW SPEEDS. I STARTED LOGGING DATES AND MILEAGE OF STALLS SINCE SEPTEMBER 1998. DEALER HAS TRIED SEVERAL TIMES UNSUCCESSFULLY TO DIAGNOSE AND CORRECT PROBLEM. INFORMED ME IN OCTOBER 8, 1998 LETTER THAT THEY WERE DISCONTINUING SERVICE ON MY TRUCK. LETTER STATES, "IF AND WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO EXHIBIT THIS CONCERN AT A FREQUENCY THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED ABNORMAL BY FORD STANDARDS, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU TO DISCUSS OUR OPTIONS." WHAT IS "ABNORMAL BY FORD STANDARDS?" WHEN SOMEONE DIES AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM?*AK

FIRE STARTED AFTER VEHICLE WAS PARKED, STARTED UNDER DASH NEAR BRAKE PEDAL ON FIREWALL. *AK

DROVE VEHICLE AND PARKED IT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, FIRE BROKE OUT UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, AND BURNED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. NO PRIOR WARNING OR NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE INCONSISTENTLY STALLS FOR AT LOW SPEEDS / TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. *AK

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE & SMELLED SMOKE. ATTEMPTED TO EXIT FREEWAY. TWO BLOCKS AFTER LEAVING FREEWAY, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD AREA. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED & PUT FLAMES OUT. NO INDICATION OF CAUSE. *AK

WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED, THE VEHICLE HAS ATTEMPTED TO START SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE TRUCK. THE VEHICLE IGNITION ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE AND JUMPS FORWARD OR BACKWARD DEPENDING ON THE GEAR THE VEICLE WAS IN WHEN PARKED. *AK

STARTER ENGAGED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED RESULTING IN WIRING OVERHEATING AND FIRE OCCURING. NLM

WHILE DRIVING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING, CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

BATTERY FAILED.

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK